Forty-eight Masters swimmers from across the county (and beyond!) came together on Saturday 3rd October for a fantastic day of learning, training and development in Sunderland for the second Northumberland & Durham Aquatics Masters training event of 2026.

The day began with a two-hour pool session focused on freestyle technique, led by Lead Coach Martin Hall (Newcastle Swim Team). Swimmers benefited from expert coaching and technical guidance throughout the session, with support from Matt Haycroft (Stokesley), Chris Tibbs (North Tyneside), Jonathan Dean (City of Sunderland) and Darren Simpson (Boldon).

Following the pool session, participants took part in a land-based strength and conditioning workshop delivered by Nathan Alford, before rounding off the day with an informative session on The Swimmer’s Breath presented by Steffy Cappleman.

The event provided Masters swimmers with an excellent opportunity to develop their skills, gain valuable coaching insights and connect with fellow swimmers from clubs across the county.

Northumberland and Durham Aquatics would like to thank the those who supported the running of the day, including the county Masters Representative Joan Edwards. They would also like to thank Tesco for their generous donation of refreshments and snacks, which helped to keep participants fuelled throughout the event.

Feedback from swimmers highlighted the success of the event:

“I loved it. I’d happily do as many as you wanted to offer.”

“Thank you, I had an excellent time. The facilities are amazing, people were nice, trainers knowledgeable. Great value for money.”

“A fantastic day, thanks to all who helped to organise.”

The positive feedback reflects the enthusiasm within the Masters community and the value of providing high-quality development opportunities for adult swimmers. Northumberland and Durham Aquatics looks forward to building on the success of the day and offering further Masters training opportunities in the future.